As I drove past the local High school tonight I noticed the sign had been changed to welcome the class reunion of the class of 1957. 50 years. It struck me funny for some reason.
High school is 4 years of our lives and 50 years later a group of people come together to relive old times and rehash their glory days, brag about their accomplishments or look up old sweethearts. Some have never left the area and others have left to create lives elsewhere but for this momentous occasion they flock back to the old gymnasium from far and wide.
Maybe I am odd but I really do not see the point. The friends I had back in high school are total strangers now. If I really cared about them and wanted to track them down I would not need to wait for a reunion to do it. And to be honest, the few old friends I have looked up or been located by over the years were no more the teenager I remembered than I am. I found it to be rather sad to see them old and gray or to hear that this one was dead, another was convicted of hit and run, one is now on the city council and so on.
We shared a few memories and went our separate ways with no desire on my part to rekindle the old friendships with these strangers. When our 25th reunion came along I had no desire to use my cherished vacation time revisiting the far distant past when there are current friends, family and grand kids I could use it visiting.
I have enjoyed conversations with strangers, getting to know them and learning about their hometowns. I have listened raptly as a 100 year old woman talked about history. I have laughed at the humor of a 10 year old child who stopped to visit me in the park because they like my dog. But I have no interest in reliving my own past with a lot of people that are trying too hard to recapture the tumultuous teen years.
Don't get me wrong, I had a good time in High school. I sometimes think of something that happened back then and it has made for a nice anecdote in a conversation. But there is so much more to my life, so many more current happenings and people that to spend an entire week end trying to relive those 4 years seems somehow empty and desperate.
So, I think I'll skip the 30th, 40th 50th, 60th reunions and just show up for the 75th to see who is the last man/woman standing....that should be interesting.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
English please....
More and more I am hearing people complain about immigrants to the United States who do not learn to speak English. I personally think it would be wonderful if the entire world population spoke English. I think it is a pretty wonderful language with plenty of choices for wording things and the ability to add subtle nuances to seemingly simple words.
But do I think it should be used to judge someones fitness to be a citizen or a prerequisite to their holding a job here? NO! Oh, don't get me wrong, it would sure make things a lot easier for me if the person on the phone or behind the counter always spoke English. But should I be upset if they do not? Why?
I took a year of Spanish in High School. The result is that I can say "Hello, how are you?" and "Very well, thank you, and you?" I can count to 20 and know about 10 other words.
My first husband was American of Mexican descent. Most of his family spoke Spanish and English. By the end of the marriage 5 years later I spoke about 25 words of usable Spanish. But when the assorted family members came to visit from Mexico most of them could not speak English at all. We spent many a visit using signs and pointing to things. They would say the Spanish word and I would say the English. I never did manage to learn Spanish. I tried. I failed.
Learning a second language is easy for some people. For some it is difficult but they manage. For some it is impossible. For me, I know that with concentrated effort and hard work, I could have done much better but I doubt I would ever have been fluent.
Now let's look at it from a different point of view. " This is America and if you want to live here learn the language or go home" Boy, I bet the Indians wish they had told the Pilgrims that. Maybe they wouldn't have been forced onto reservations and their Children forced to speak and dress like the white men.
And the Spanish people that owned vast areas of the country long before the new European arrivals came should have insisted they learn Spanish in order to fit into their newly chosen home or leave immediately.
This nation has been called a melting pot. We have a Statue on Ellis Island that holds the inscription "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Granted, it was a gift and the inscription was not written by an American.... But we accepted the gift and we didn't request the inscription be changed. Obviously we liked the sentiment enough to place it in the harbor and treat it as a national treasure. But we only meant poor huddled masses that speak English...and only a few at a time, and only those who we deem to be desirable... but most important is that speaking English part...
Officially, by law there is no National language here. I personally do not think there should be one. I do not believe that Freedom of speech should be limited to English only and I do not think that a persons ability or willingness to learn English is a reasonable test of their commitment to or love for this nation.
But it sure would make life easier if everyone spoke English....I think it is wonderful that children in many countries are being taught English as a part of their basic educations....I wonder if our schools will ever get back to teaching it to our children.
But do I think it should be used to judge someones fitness to be a citizen or a prerequisite to their holding a job here? NO! Oh, don't get me wrong, it would sure make things a lot easier for me if the person on the phone or behind the counter always spoke English. But should I be upset if they do not? Why?
I took a year of Spanish in High School. The result is that I can say "Hello, how are you?" and "Very well, thank you, and you?" I can count to 20 and know about 10 other words.
My first husband was American of Mexican descent. Most of his family spoke Spanish and English. By the end of the marriage 5 years later I spoke about 25 words of usable Spanish. But when the assorted family members came to visit from Mexico most of them could not speak English at all. We spent many a visit using signs and pointing to things. They would say the Spanish word and I would say the English. I never did manage to learn Spanish. I tried. I failed.
Learning a second language is easy for some people. For some it is difficult but they manage. For some it is impossible. For me, I know that with concentrated effort and hard work, I could have done much better but I doubt I would ever have been fluent.
Now let's look at it from a different point of view. " This is America and if you want to live here learn the language or go home" Boy, I bet the Indians wish they had told the Pilgrims that. Maybe they wouldn't have been forced onto reservations and their Children forced to speak and dress like the white men.
And the Spanish people that owned vast areas of the country long before the new European arrivals came should have insisted they learn Spanish in order to fit into their newly chosen home or leave immediately.
This nation has been called a melting pot. We have a Statue on Ellis Island that holds the inscription "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Granted, it was a gift and the inscription was not written by an American.... But we accepted the gift and we didn't request the inscription be changed. Obviously we liked the sentiment enough to place it in the harbor and treat it as a national treasure. But we only meant poor huddled masses that speak English...and only a few at a time, and only those who we deem to be desirable... but most important is that speaking English part...
Officially, by law there is no National language here. I personally do not think there should be one. I do not believe that Freedom of speech should be limited to English only and I do not think that a persons ability or willingness to learn English is a reasonable test of their commitment to or love for this nation.
But it sure would make life easier if everyone spoke English....I think it is wonderful that children in many countries are being taught English as a part of their basic educations....I wonder if our schools will ever get back to teaching it to our children.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
That's ok, I don't see her either...
While sitting in the park I saw a small female woodpecker land on the bark of this tree. I saw her climb up a few feet and then she vanished. Upon investigation I realized that this is the only place she could have gone. It is only about 10-12 feet off the ground.
I suspect there is a nest hidden here and will watch it for signs of life over the next few weeks. I do not want to frighten or harrass her so I settled for a picture of the entry and did not climb up to look inside.
What struck me funny is that this is not really a hole in the tree at all. it is actually two trees that have grown together at the base and this is the Y where they split apart, A piece of bark fell and wedged there and needles built up around it creating what appears to be a snug and dry hollow that goes back between the two trees for about 3-4 feet and is closed off on the other end with more bark and needles.
So what do you think? Will I ever see her again? Or was this just an exploration and she will actually nest elsewhere?
Watch the sky
I have been having a lot of fun taking pictures of the clouds lately. They are everchanging, have many different formations and make for some beautiful sunsets.
The sun setting turns them into a rapidly changing and colorful show.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Just because they are lovely
Washed down from the surrounding mountains the rocks of the river are multi colored and beautiful . There are sandstone , quartz, jasper, fools gold and fossil stones from the bluffs. Strange how one day I hardly notice them at all, taking them for granted. Then on a day like this they stand out, demanding attention and admiration.
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